BBC sport reports that in 1992 when the Premier league started there were 13 foreign players now there are 300. Presumably this has improved the quality of the league... but at what cost? England suffer, Southgate is picking players for his squad who are not starting for their clubs. British players are frozen out of PL clubs?
Don't think there is any doubt the Premier League has been a disaster for the National side, but does make the Premier League the best in the world.
Not sure I agree - the national side in my lifetime has always been poor to average with the odd flash of hope. Probably better now than most of my life. Look at the world cups: 1970 - QF (first round after groups) 1974 - DNQ 1978 - DNQ 1982 - Second round (Groups) 1986 - QF (2nd knock out round) 1990 - Semi (Pens!) 1994 - DNQ Just don't see anything there that makes me think the premier league has impacted international football. We've never been good since 1966! Obviously it's meant that less English players are getting game time in England but I can;t see that England are any worse as a team than they were at the inception of the Premier league - just means that the better English players are easier to find as there are less English players playing
Aye the fact that less English players get a chance of playing at the top level is countered by the fact that those who are good enough get the chance to perform with better quality players, hence improving as players themselves. Swings and roundabouts really as far as Englands plight is concerned. I would prefer a rule that a team should only be allowed 4-5 foreigners on the pitch/in the squad at once but I guess that that would be highly illegal nowadays.
Stands to reason for me..the more foreigners we have playing the less homegrown talent is allowed to shine. We spent fortunes on the likes of Fredgaard, Nunez Laslandes etc etc. What chance for home grown talent to show what they can do when a club spends this kind of cash...No chance.
The national team now is the best we've had since 98. We've got loads of good youngsters coming into the squad as well.
I think the end result is that England have less players to choose from, but enough to fill an international football team to a level that we expect. One or two prospects might have slipped through the net every few years as a result of the foreign invasion, but not enough to have made a difference to England's fortunes.
I'd love that rule too. Think a lot would but it'll never happen as, like you say, we'd effectively telling people they're not allowed to work in the company because they're the wrong nationality (slight crossover to racism thread??) They brought in a "home grown" rule but that just meant players who had come through an English (British?) academy - regardless of their nationality
I think that is the problem... in rugby often the rule can be unless you are playing in the country you cannot be picked for the national side. I cannot see that working in football. As you say either a percentage of the academy need to be eligible for England or a number of first team squad. What distorts things is the number of players signed up by the very rich clubs who are then loaned/farmed out. I just think the FA has let the matter slide without much thought or planning.
As a former Employment Lawyer (and I mean 12 years ago here!!) I can't think of why it would be illegal. Racism is excluding someone on the basis of race and is never justifiable but excluding jobs on the basis of nationality isn't outright ridiculous. It isn't happening though.
I'd say the Spanish League is better, Ronaldo, Suarez, Bale, Courtioz , the list goes on. We are second choice.
No way on gods earth is the Spanish league anywhere near the Premier League. There’s 2 teams. Barca are Champions and City are better than them in every position bar Messi. Madrid are in need of a total rebuild and wouldn’t match any of our top 4 right now. As for the rest of the league? We haven’t even mentioned Chelsea, Arsenal etc. Crowds are small, TV audience is tiny (hence the major broadcasters not taking it), Ronaldo plays in Italy anyway. Spain is now losing players to Italy, France and Germany as well as the UK, La Liga is in a bizarre transition, hence Getafe, a provincial Madrid club are clear in a CL place. If you dropped Valencia, Sevilla etc into the PL they would be bottom 3rd, if you put Leicester, Everton, Wolves in La Liga, they would be CL. You can pluck a few names out of Barca, Madrid and even Atletico, but the dross around them in other sides wouldn’t get near a Premier League team. There’s no question, 4 team in the CL last 8 days it all. United and Spurs in poor form in the league putting out PSG and Dortmund, Chelsea and Arsenal still in Europa. The PL is getting stronger and stronger, mid table sides with Spanish and Argentine internationals.
Laporte, Otamendi, Silva, Aguero, Kepa, Pedro, De Gea, Sanchez, Mata, Herrera... It works both ways. Overall, I think we are the stronger league, as evidenced by the quarter finals of this year's CL. You could argue that the very top teams (Real / Barca) are stronger than ours but I'm tempted to say Man City are the best team in the world right now. They could very realistically do the quadruple this year, which is just mad.
